Visitor MR0301 
| Visitor |
| Sex? |
male |
| Profession/occupation? |
MD |
| Home country? |
Switzerland |
| What made you want to go to
Solomon Islands? |
reading an article |
| Arriving in Solomon
Islands |
| When did you arrive in Solomon
Islands? |
September 2002 |
| Did you encounter any
bureaucratic difficulties? |
no |
| What was your first impression
after arrival? |
Where the hell am I? |
| Living in Solomon
Islands |
| What did positively surprise
you? |
the people with their warmhearted attitude |
| What did negatively surprise
you? |
nothing is really functioning |
| What took longest to get used
to? |
never ending power cuts and frequent water supply
problems |
| What did you miss most in
Solomon Islands? |
after half a year: cervelats (Swiss sausages), salami,
and chocolate |
| What should you have brought
along? |
salami |
| What did you do to prevent
malaria? |
sleep under a mosquito net |
| Place and province where you
spent most of your time? |
Honiara, Honiara-City |
| Where did you stay? |
Kiwi-House |
| How long did you stay at each
location? |
11 months |
| How much did you pay for
each? |
as a volunteer doctor nothing |
| Where did you usually eat? |
hospital cafeteria, Kiwi-House |
| What did you typically pay for
a normal meal? |
SBD 7 |
| What local food/beverage did
you like most? |
kumara, cassava, cassava-pudding, taro, coconut drink,
snake beans, egg plants... |
| What local food/beverage did
you like least? |
none |
| Working in Solomon
Islands |
| How did you usually go to
work? |
walk |
| Where did you work? |
NRH |
| What was your occupation? |
doctor (registrar) |
| What were your working days and
hours? |
Mon - Fri, 8am - 5pm, additionally I was on call
(including weekends) |
| What was particularly difficult
in regard to your work? |
never ending fight against the chaotic hospital life |
| Did you feel accepted by the
locals? |
yes |
| What did you usually do in your
spare time after work? |
watching the sea, spent time with locals |
| Leaving Solomon Islands and
looking back |
| When did you leave Solomon
Islands? |
August 2003 |
| How long was your stay? |
11 months |
| How do you judge the length of
your stay? |
just about right |
| What did you learn from the
locals? |
try to get along with what you have |
| Your advice to prospective
visitors? |
respect the locals and be yourself |
| What did you miss most when
back at home again? |
the feeling of life in the streets and daily
sceneries |
| What did you enjoy most when
back at home again? |
the comfort of a Swiss house (water, electricity) |
| Would you go back for another
stay? |
yes |
| Estimated total cost of your
stay (including travel costs)? |
CHF 10,000 |
| Additional comments? |
[-] |
